February 21, 2013

I have been meaning to write about our trip ever since we got back and life has been so crazy busy- a good normal busy that I took for granted before and didn't know if it would be like that again!  We have been running to Sadie's basketball games and all the school activities and are so grateful for 4 children that are doing so many good things. 

Our trip to Phoenix was absolutely amazing!  My brother Mark and his wife Alanna made so many plans and did so many fun things with us there that Brynn said she felt like it was another "wish trip".  We are so grateful that things fell into place and we were able to go.  Once again there were many little miracles- Brynn had low counts and was very worried about leaving the country.  The doctors said we could check on Monday morning before we flew but the counts would probably be even lower because we had chemo again.  We checked anyways and were thrilled when we heard they were on the way up and she wasn't neutrapenic anymore!  We flew out that night and worried alot less!  While we were there we went to a Phoenix Suns game and got the VIP treatment- went early and got to be down on the floor- sit on the team bench and even met Charles Barkley backstage!  We had a private box with lots of food and it was a really fun night for all of us!  We swam, went shopping, went to a Phoenix Coyote game in another box seat and Kade even got to ride the Zamboni at the period break!  (Brynn was asked to but was too shy!")  We are so grateful for that amazing trip and that Brynn was feeling up to going on it.  It's been amazing how her chemo treatments have worked out perfectly for our schedules to fit everything in!  Her week off in December was the week of Christmas, then her week off in January was Sadie's semester break and we could go to Phoenix, and now she has this week off for family day and teacher convention week so we were able to go down to our cabin in Kalispell.  Everyone was going skiing and Brynn didn't think she wanted to ski so I was staying with her.  Well, she changed her mind so I bought her a ticket and explained to the lady that she would try but might be tired after one run.  Well, she shocked us again as she skiied all afternoon and kept wanting to go again and again.  I was skiing behind her at one point- it was beautiful outside and she had her arms out like she was flying.  Tears came to my eyes and I said a little prayer of thanks- truly amazed that I was even seeing what I was seeing!  Blessings are pouring in! 

We were extremely nervous to get her scan results back and were scared when our oncologist called the next day.  We cried together on the phone as he told us that they were amazed how things were shrinking and how much smaller the tumors were.  He said that the radiologist reading her scans thought they had done surgery and that was why he couldn't see her one tumor anymore.  We don't know which treatment is working or if it's a combination of the two but we are just going to continue doing what we are doing because it is working and she is feeling good.  She is such a trooper taking her pills and letting us give her the shots 3 times a week- but she knows things are responding which makes it easier to continue the fight. 

Kevin took Brynn to Nashville again right from Phoenix because flight were so much cheaper than coming back to Canada and flying from here.  Her doctor there received her scan results as well and was so thrilled to see how well she is doing and that things are shrinking.  We are going to see him in three months again and in the meantime just keep doing the treatments here.  The doctors are so excited at how she is doing that they are letting her do some of her treatments in Lethbridge and just come to Calgary once a month.  She has literally had no pain the last 3 months so we are now weaning her off her morphine and seeing how she feels.  So far she is doing great with that too. 

I know I say this over and over but blessings continue to pour down on this sweet little girl and our whole family and I know that alot of prayers are being said and answered on our behalf.  We can never thank everyone enough and we continue to consider each day a blessing and not take the little things for granted!